By Futoshi Mori / Japan News Senior Writer 10:00 JST, May 19, 2024 A subscription service that delivers boxes of regional Japanese confections, or wagashi, to anywhere in the world is gaining popularity. The boxes are provided by ICHIGO, a company based in Minato Ward, Tokyo, that offers three other varieties of box services and delivers to about 180 countries and regions, but mainly to the United States and Europe. The most popular box is the wagashi Sakuraco, which bundles traditional confections with a color booklet in English.
Through the wagashi, customers can get a taste of Japan without ever leaving home. “The Sakuraco boxes change every month, with such themes as Kyoto, Hokkaido and Okinawa,” said Alex Nomura, ICHIGO’s chief operating officer. “Each box contains 15 or so kinds of traditional confections, or about 20 pieces.
These are unique to each region; you can’t find them in convenience stores or supermarkets in Tokyo.” Besides the confections, each box contains a small item such as a plate, a teacup or chopsticks, as well as a paired Japanese tea, a color booklet, and a greeting from Ayumi Chikamoto, the company’s president and chief executive officer. Opening the box, the recipient is met with a burst of color and the many flavors of that month’s region.
A promotional photo for the Sakuraco box meant to elicit the feeling of traveling in Japan. (Courtesy of ICHIGO) Confections and black bean tea in the June box Small plates, chopsticks and other .